Instructional Design Of A PE Lesson Based On "SPONGE"Approach To Experience

Instructional design of A PE Lesson based on "SPONGE" approach to experience is concerned with A PE Lesson in Unit6Part A in Book5of Oxford English. Its theoretical bases are system theory, constructivism learning theory, children’s cognitive development theory and experience-based instruction."SPONGE" is the acronym of situation, perception, observation, notice, grasp and exercise, which are the six processes in this instructional design, and also the core features of experience-based instruction. The significance of this instructional design lies in three aspects:the first one is to help to stimulate pupils’interest in English learning, the second one is to facilitate the pupils’grasp of how to give and follow the orders, the third one is to help to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and appealing of instructional design so as to provide some reference for the future English instructional design in primary schools.This instructional design is composed of three parts:pre-design analyses of its major elements, design of teaching process and post-design reflections.Pre-design analyses of its major elements include analyses of learners, teaching contents and teaching objectives. In terms of learners, they are Grade Five in the primary school which I taught as an intern. Having a rich imagination, intense curiosity and strong desire of performance, they are vivid, vigorous and eager to try new things. In terms of teaching contents, the teacher chooses A PE Lesson, which can serve the purpose of instructional design of A PE Lesson based on "SPONGE" approach to experience. In terms of teaching objectives, the teacher tries to analyze from four aspects:language knowledge, language skills, learning strategies and affective factors. Language knowledge emphasizes on some new words and sentence patterns; language skills focus more on listening, speaking; learning strategies aim to let the pupils learn to participate in the class, and work together with others; affective factors seek to arouse pupils’ interest of learning English, create a harmonious atmosphere between teachers and pupils, make pupils experience the happiness of learning English through various experiential activities.The specific design of teaching process consists of six steps:step1:Situation with an English cartoon SpongeBob, by which the pupils can initially experience this lesson; step2: Perception with an English song head shoulders, by which the pupils can learn the new words about body parts, and review the words that they have already learned before; step3:Observation with a focus on following the orders. In this step, the teacher should combine the new words and sentence patterns, and let pupils observe what he does and then imitate; step4:Notice with a focus on giving the orders. In this step, pupils will watch cartoons, notice the dialogue in the book, and then learn to give orders; step5:Grasp with a focus on giving and following the orders. This step involves role play. Pupils will have a grasp of the new knowledge through acting; step6: Exercise with an assignment of making a fitness program. These six teaching steps are the main parts of the instructional design, which is for the purpose of maximizing the effectiveness, efficiency and appealing of instruction.The reflections on the instructional design involve the reflections on the teaching objectives, reflections on the design of teaching process and the revised instructional design based on the reflections. In terms of teaching objectives, they are generally achieved, which can be shown in four aspects. The first aspect is about knowledge:the pupils grasp the basic vocabularies about body parts as well as the expressions of giving and following orders. The second aspect is about language skills:pupils can make the corresponding actions according to the orders, correctly understand and grasp the conversation, read and act this dialogue. The third aspect is about learning strategies:pupils learn to participate in the class, and work together with others. The last aspect is about affective factors:pupils’interest in English learning and their self-confidence have increased, and they can take part in the teaching process actively. As for the teaching process, on the whole, the teaching design is a success, but there are also some problems. For example, although pupils are happy to join in the activities, experiential activities in the instructional design make it hard to control the discipline of the class; some pupils are introvert, and they do not participate actively; during the process of free reading and role play, pupils show the inefficiency of self learning.Based on these reflections, three revisions are made in the instructional design. The first revision:the teacher can design more disciplines when the pupils carry out these experiential activities to control the discipline of the class; the second revision:the teacher should offer many opportunities for some introvert pupils to aim at everyone’s participation actively; and third revision:the teacher can change reading types to improve the efficiency of self learning.